Former Bruins center Colby Cave in medically-induced coma after emergency brain surgery

By Ty Anderson, 985TheSportsHub.com

Oilers forward and former Bruins forward Colby Cave remains in a medically-induced coma after emergency surgery to remove a colloid cyst that caused pressure on his brain, the Oilers announced on Tuesday night.

According to the Oilers, Cave's emergency surgery came after the Saskatchewan-born forward was rushed to a Toronto hospital with a brain bleed overnight, and with Emily Cave noting that they "needed a miracle." That miracle came with the successful surgery to ease the pressure on Cave's brain and stop the bleeding, but with Cave in a medically-induced coma, Emily has continued to ask for thoughts and prayers for her husband.

After spending four years with the Swift Current Broncos of the Western Hockey League, Cave was signed by the Bruins as un undrafted free agent in Apr. 2015. From there, Cave would spent four seasons with the B's organization before the Oilers swiped him off the waiver wire in Jan. 2019. But Cave certainly made his impact on the Black and Gold, particularly in the minor-league ranks, where his 239 appearances for the P-Bruins currently rank as the 14th-most in the franchise's history. Cave also served as one of Providence's captains during his final season with the organization.

Bruins head coach Bruce Cassidy, who coached Cave both in Providence from 2015 to 2017 and then in Boston during his cameos, had frequent praise for Cave's work ethic and dedication throughout his brief run with the Big B's.

"He’s a terrific kid," Cassidy said after one of Cave's stronger NHL efforts with the Bruins, which featured a goal and helper in a Dec. 17, 2018 win over Montreal. "Team player all the way, will do whatever is asked of him."

Cassidy respected Cave and his willingness to 'pay his dues' as an undrafted prospect so much that Cassidy was actually happy for Cave when the Bruins lost him to the Oilers via the waiver wire the next month, saying that he felt that Cave would have a better chance to extend his NHL career with the Oilers than in a Cup-or-bust Boston squad.

To piggyback off what Cassidy said about Cave, the 6-foot-1 forward has always been one of those players who was extremely easy to root for. He's worked for everything throughout his career, and stepped up whenever necessary, which included some top-line fill-in for Patrice Bergeron for the Black and Gold in his final run with the team during the 2018-19 season.

The 25-year-old Cave had one goal in 11 games for the Oilers this season (he appeared in 44 games for AHL's Bakersfield this season), and has totaled four goals and nine points in 67 career NHL games between the B's and Oilers.